The blogging world of workers’ compensation attorneys has been all abuzz over the last few weeks with the ruling of Smothers v. Will County Forest Preserve District. The conversation revolves around the decision that answers the question: “When is a shoulder not part of an arm?” Apparently, according to the jurists, it never has been. [...]

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Several workers in northern Iowa were working to unclog a sewer line when one of the sewer workers was overcome by sewer gas and died. The work site was in North Sioux City, Iowa. It’s reported that the safety rules were not followed and the men were overcome by sewer gas while working to unplug the line. Confined space safety [...]

When you are injured at work in Iowa, it is unlikely your employer will permit you to choose which doctor you see.  The Iowa Workers’ Compensation system limits workers’ choice of medical care to treat occupational injuries.  In fact, with few exceptions your employer generally has the right to select and direct your medical care provided they [...]

A strike by laborers in the construction industry devastates progress for crucial projects and has widespread effects, from increased traffic which is the product of stalled roadwork, to businesses that rely on the timely completion of a project.  For almost three weeks now, construction workers on strike in Illinois have been holding out for better [...]

Any classic American occupation can conjure iconic images. Mentioning “construction work” reminds us of the Industrial Revolution, with capable men raising skyscrapers protected only by a pair of sturdy boots and a yellow hard hat. Every bridge, highway, and city skyline as we know it today was built through the efforts of these hard working [...]

This week the Chicago Tribune reported on an incident in which a 17-year-old girl employed in a sandwich restaurant in Palos Heights, IL was closing up the store for the evening at 9:00pm when she was abducted at knifepoint and sexually assaulted. She was the only employee on duty, and was left to close the [...]

It was encouraging news for workers and companies as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently announced that in 2007, fewer workers were injured on the job. The AP reports that the number of workers killed on the job annually dropped to a historic low in 2007.
While the news of overall fatalities is a positive [...]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) gives guidelines and requirements necessary for training employees, and imposes them particularly on companies whose employees engage in dangerous work activities. Such programs are intended to provide important lifesaving and safety education.
These programs also place a rigorous responsibility on the employers with respect to providing their employees with [...]

The summer months require no stretch of the imagination to reach the conclusion that heat can be a danger to workers. While day care centers bring kids inside, athletes cut down on outdoor practice, and restaurants can close their patio seating, some laborers do not have such an option.
On June 23, laborers in California filed [...]

Workers’ compensation is an inevitable issue for some companies. When your employees do certain motions day after day, year after year, it’s going to wear down their bodies. But maybe not; maybe it’s just a matter of proper maintenance. After all, we take our cars in regularly, with the cars that acquire more miles quickly [...]